Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of cooling electronic systems. More particularly, the invention pertains to methods of cooling electronics using circulating liquid.
Description of Related Art
Electronic systems that involve a significant amount of heat generation as part of their functionality, or are deployed in an area that subjects them to environmental contamination, or are deployed in areas that require a low acoustical noise signature, oftentimes require liquid cooling. Liquid cooling also can provide the opportunity to significantly reduce overall system size and cost.
Liquid cooling can be realized via several different methods. For example, heat that is dissipated into the local system environment via convection can be transferred to a localized air-to-liquid heat exchanger. Alternatively, heat from electronic components can be transferred directly to liquid coolant via conduction.
When conduction cooling is employed, the general state of the art is to use assemblies that are plumbed in place to the host system's liquid coolant distribution and management system. Such assemblies are typically difficult to repair after a malfunction as they have to be disconnected from the cooling system.
Condensation is a risk in liquid cooled applications where the coolant is supplied from a source that provides coolant at temperatures below the dew point. This can cause sensitive electronic parts to fail and leaves the system unserviceable. Adequate condensation mitigation techniques should be in place to prevent condensation happening in the vicinity of electronic components.
Likewise, the sub-system cabinet these assemblies are contained within is highly customized, providing limited flexibility regarding system expansion or upgrade. With power conversion systems in particular, the ability for a flexible, easy-to-maintain and cost effective architecture is highly desirable. Flexibility areas include setting the amount of power available for a given application, the liquid cooling system, input power management and distribution system, output power management and distribution system, and administrative functions.